


The Fall Into Tartarus

by CimmerianHuntress



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Altered Mental States, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Injury, Broken Bones, Established Relationship, F/M, Injury, Major Character Injury, Memory Alteration, Memory Loss, Mental Health Issues, Mind Manipulation, Minor Original Character(s), Originally Posted Elsewhere, Pain, Post-Tartarus (Percy Jackson), Torture, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-22 19:35:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 17,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13771059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CimmerianHuntress/pseuds/CimmerianHuntress
Summary: What happened after *spoilers* Percy and Annabeth fell into Tartarus? Pain and agony, that's what.





	1. The Edge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events in Riordan's book leading up to my version.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this story way back in 2013, after Mark of Athena came out. That cliffhanger was awful, and this was how I coped with that! Please excuse my 7th grader writing, I'm far too lazy to read it over again and make edits. If my tags or warnings are wrong, please let me know and I'll change them.

Percy gripped the ledge as he and Annabeth were pulled into the endless pit. He tightened his hold on her hand.  _I will not let her fall. I won't let her get away again._ As he strained against the insistent blackness, he gazed into Annabeth's eyes. In them he saw the pain she was in, from her broken leg to the fear that they would be torn away from one another once more.  _I'll never let that happen._ He looked away, searching for a way out, though he knew he wouldn't find one.

"'Percy, let me go,'" Annabeth whispered. "'You can't pull me up.'" Percy felt like his heart was being cleaved in two.  _No. I won't let her go alone._

"'Never.'" He grunted. He looked above him, spotting Nico leaning into the pit with his arm outstretched. "'The other side, Nico! We'll see you there. Understand?'" Percy understood what he said perfectly.  _This quest could be impossible. But I have to try._

Nico tried to protest. "'But-'"

Percy interrupted him. "'Lead them there! Promise me!'"

His wide eyes showed how mortally scared Nico was. "'I-I will.'"

Percy looked down at Annabeth. From here, he could see her scratched arms and face, along with her casted ankle. "'We're staying together,'" He promised her. "'You're not getting away from me. Never again.'"

Annabeth voice shook as she responded. "'As long as we're together.'"

He didn't hesitate, for fear he'd come to his senses. Percy released his hold on the ledge, and dropped into oblivion as he wrapped Annabeth in his embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just the introduction; I'm aware it's short! The others are longer (I think). I'm on Tumblr @cimmerianhuntress, or my general @wingedhuntress.  
> P.S. I'm using quote on quotes because it's the actual dialogue from the book, whereas the rest is my spin on what happened.


	2. The Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're falling! What happens now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just fyi, this entire thing is from forever ago, I'm just reposting it all at once. The publication dates aren't accurate, so don't mind them. My Tumblr is @cimmerianhuntress, or my general @wingedhuntress.

Many thoughts raced through Percy's mind as he plummeted into Tartarus. Part kept trying to focus on the fact that he was  **plummeting into Tartarus**. Percy also thought of how dark it was, complete blackness that took his breath away. He wondered how this was possible, traveling straight down into a pit designed to contain the worlds worst horrors.  _How will we survive? Is it possible?_

"Percy..." Annabeth whimpered. As he looked down, he realized that the web was probably still attached to her leg. Despite the fact that they were falling rapidly, the chord was still taught and pulling on Annabeth's leg. He thought quickly.  _I must cut that web!_

"My sword. Annabeth, grab my sword!" Percy wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder as the wind whipped them back and fourth. She grabbed his pen from his pocket and uncapped it. Just like always, it grew into Percy's Celestial Bronze sword Riptide. It glowed warmly, and Percy was able to see Annabeth in the faint light. "I got you. I won't let go." He promised her. She smiled up at him, even though she must be in extreme pain. Suddenly she lurched downward, nearly coming out of Percy's grasp.  He gripped her wrist as she spiraled away from him. The air around them turned cold, but it seemed to burn with malice.

Annabeth still had Riptide clutched in her hand. Percy caught her eye as he took it from her. "I'll cut it, just try to stay still." He pulled on her wrist to get closer to her foot.

"Percy, do you feel that?" Annabeth asked. "The air... it seems... different. More violent." Percy felt it. It was as if Boreas was breathing down his neck and squeezing the breath out of him.  _But is there anything I can do about it?_ He didn't think so. It seemed to burn and tear at him, as if it was acid and he was simply a sheet of paper.

Percy spun in air as he tried to reach the web. "Yeah, I feel it. I think we're getting closer to... to the bottom." He got within range, and focused hard.  _I can't hit Annabeth._ "Hold still. I can cut the silk," Percy told her. The only light was coming from Riptide, and even that seemed to be dampened. Percy swung the blade, cutting it off five inches from her ankle.

Annabeth sighed with relief. Percy was happy that she had one less thing to worry about, but there was much more for them to deal with at the moment. Annabeth gripped his shoulder and pulled him toward her. Percy embraced her, not knowing what else to do or say. He only knew that having her close was the most important thing in the world. She looked into his eyes, and he met her gaze. They were stormy gray, and shining with love and fear.  _I'll keep her safe._

"Whatever happens at the bottom, we stick together." Annabeth promised.

Percy smiled. Little did he know he wouldn't smile again for a very long time. "Always."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What do we think? Drop me a comment if you're feeling generous!


	3. Crash Landing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now they touch bottom. Hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on Tumblr @cimmerianhuntress or my general @wingedhuntress!

The black around them seemed to get darker. In the light of his sword, Percy could see Annabeth's gaunt face. "When we reach the bottom, we need to find out what the ground is like first," She told him. "Then we'll check for any obvious signs of monsters." Her expression told him she was trying hard not to panic. She was probably making a plan just to calm herself down. They both knew that they couldn't begin to guess what was waiting below them.

Percy couldn't be sure of anything, but he knew he was going to keep Annabeth safe.  _We'll find the way out. We always have._  If he didn't believe that, he'd lose his mind. Percy pulled Annabeth closer, wrapping her in his arms. "We've got each other." He whispered in her ear. She sighed, knowing that was all that mattered.  Percy could feel the air growing colder as they tumbled, but it wasn't something he wanted to discuss. Annabeth felt it, too, he was sure. Below, he felt a strange, bulky presence approaching. He spun on impulse, not fully understanding what was happening.  _Protect her._

He felt the ground come to meet him as he shielded Annabeth with his body. The contact felt like an explosion of greek fire on his back as he hit the stones and dirt. Percy's vision grew fuzzy, and all he could focus on was the terrible throbbing coming from his entire body. He couldn't move, he couldn't think. He might have blacked out, though it was impossible to tell because there was nothing to see, anyway.

"Percy?" He heard Annabeth's voice nearby. "Percy!" He could hear her uneven footsteps coming toward him. He tried desperately to respond, to move, to find out if she was okay. Nothing worked. His vision began to clear, and he could make out a glow coming from his right. A shadow picked it up, but to his relief it was only Annabeth. She drew closer, gasping as he came into the light. "Oh, Percy!" She flung herself to the ground beside him, dropping Riptide. She rolled him over gently, though it didn't help his pain. He managed a groan, which seemed to be a good sign to Percy. He was stuck gazing up at Annabeth's scratched face, and watch as she frantically poked and prodded to find any broken bones. "Say something. Anything." She begged him. "Please." She picked up his sword, setting it on his left and resting her head on his chest. She looked him in the eyes, and though they were worried, he saw her jaw clench. "You are going to be fine. Can you move at all?"

Percy knew that look. She wasn't going to do anything unless he came with her.  _Come on, move._ He started with his right arm, and he tried to simply lift it. It was as if Annabeth was sitting on it, which of course she wasn't.  _You're in shock. Snap out of it._ Percy slowed his breathing, and made himself relax. After a few slow, deep breaths, he tried again. His arm slowly rose, though it was difficult and much more painful than it should have been. Annabeth eyes grew hopeful as she watched, then she took his hand in hers.

"Come on, I'm going to pull you up. You need to sit up. Come on." Annabeth urged. She began to pull lightly on his hand, and reached for the other.  _She's going to make you stand up no matter what you do. You're endangering her by staying in one spot._ He focused on leaning forward. His stomach burned like lava, but with Annabeth helping he managed to sit up. His back could have been broken, for the pain he felt. "Are you good to stand?" Annabeth asked him.

Percy finally found his voice, which was low and quiet. "I... I'm not sure." Compared to the agony in his back, his legs didn't seem that bad. They throbbed from hitting the gravelly ground, but he could feel all the way to his toes. "Let's try it." Percy growled. Annabeth got up and walked behind him. She put her arms under his and gripped hard, ready to help lift him. At this, he received a fresh wave of torture down his spine. He must have shown his misery, because Annabeth loosened her grip.

"I'm sorry! What's wrong?" She yelped.

Percy struggled to recover, taking deep breaths and closing his eyes. Once he felt ready, he peered toward Annabeth as he gathered his courage. "I'm fine. Let's try again." He tried to assure her.

"No, you are not fine!" She fumed. "What's hurting you?"

Percy sighed. "It's just my back. I'll be fine." He assured her. He hoped she didn't overreact; they couldn't afford to stay here without knowing anything about their surroundings.

Annabeth puffed. "Sure." She said seriously. "If you can't stand up, then you're not okay, Percy."

 _I'm not going to make us stay here anymore. We need to move._ "I'm fine, just... help me up." He told her pleadingly.

"How? Do you want me to pull you up?" She asked with slight mocking politeness.

"Sure." Percy confirmed. She seemed timid to help him up, probably worrying about hurting him. Still, she moved in front of him and grabbed his hands again. She was more gentle this time, and waited for him to instruct her. He gathered his wits, which had slowly recovered as he talked with Annabeth. The familiarity had helped his short recovery. He slowly moved to get up, telling Annabeth, "Okay, now."

The trip from sitting to standing was unpleasant, but bearable. Once he was standing, his body hurt to support itself and the area around him seemed to spin. He would have fallen over if not for Annabeth, who was constantly at his side. She steadied him, wrapping her arm around his waist. Her eyes shone with relief and protectiveness.

"Let's go, Seaweed Brain. We've got places to be." Annabeth told him playfully, though her heart wasn't in it. They were on unknown turf, with nothing but Riptide to protect Percy, who was bruised and tired, and Annabeth, who was just as bad with a broken ankle in a bubble wrap cast.

Percy grunted. "Look out, Gaea. Here we come." Annabeth scooped up Riptide and they began trudging into the black oblivion of Tartarus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh? Ehh? Is this working? Let me know!


	4. Into Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Striking out into the unknown. Spooky!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Tumblr is @cimmerianhuntress or @wingedhuntress. Come chat!

Percy and Annabeth stumbled and tripped as they traveled in the blackness. Both didn't have a clue what to look for, and with their lack of light they didn't know what to expect, either. The ground was mostly flat, with widely-spaced potholes and random rocks sticking up above the dirt. They could only hear their own breathing and cursing, but the emptiness around them seemed to dampen all noise they made. Occasionally, they could hear a distant roar, groan, or yell belonging to faceless demons. For all the horrors Percy had ever faced, he figured that the worst would dwell here in the black of Tartarus. He thought up many possible circumstances that could occur; none of which were good.

Suddenly, Annabeth lurched downward with a yelp. With Percy's arm wrapped around her, he was dragged to the ground as well. They both thudded to the path, making Percy's body go full fire again. Riptide flew a few feet away from him. He heard Annabeth groan beside him.

"Annabeth? Are you okay?" Percy asked, concerned beyond measure. His back burned as he sat up, but that didn't stop him. He needed to get up.  _Get to Annabeth._

As he moved to his knees, Percy heard a shriek from Annabeth's direction. He grabbed his sword from where it fell, and in it's light, he looked around for Annabeth. "Annabeth?" Percy called. He was beginning to panic.  _Stay calm. Freaking out doesn't help._  "Annabeth! Where are... Whoa!" As he stepped forward, the ground seemed to disappear beneath him. He plummeted into a shallow hole, dropping his sword and tumbling head over heel till he reached the center. Groaning, he managed to right himself. Glancing around, he noticed Riptide lying not three feet from him. He walked over to it, checking for more injuries as he did so. His condition hadn't worsened much, but he probably added a few more bruises to his list of pains. Once he scooped up his sword, he continued his search. Based on the lack of response from Annabeth, he wondered if calling out was a good plan.  _You have no idea what's lurking down here._ He decided it didn't matter. She could have been knocked unconscious, for all he knew. But she also might not have heard him as she fell into pit; Percy knew he wouldn't have.

"Annabeth?" He called out softly. All kinds of monsters could be down here, so he had to be careful.  _You're no use to her if you get caught by something,_ he excused himself. He made his way around the circle, but it was beginning to look like more of a deep channel than a crater. With no response from Annabeth, Percy assumed he was within his rights to panic.  _Keep your head clear. Did you respond well when you landed in this mangy underworld?_ His mind warred between icy calm and frantic seeking. He crouched, setting down his sword and bringing his hands to his temples.  _Listen carefully,_ he instructed himself. As he did, a loud clatter came from his left. Letting his instincts take over, he rose into a long-practiced stance with Riptide gripped firmly in his hands. He swung to face the noise, hoping for Annabeth, but only finding her dagger lying on the ground where the hill began sloping upward. He began to think as she would. Since the blade was at the bottom, it could have been dropped even thirty feet above him. Something had deserted the knife, and Annabeth wasn't talking, so either she was hiding, she was out cold, or she had been caught by whatever had dumped her weapon. She wouldn't be hiding unless there was something to hide from, and if she was unconscious then he had to find her. His best option, though there were basically no more to choose from, was to get the dagger and move up the hill to find what had dropped it. He didn't know what to expect, and he didn't really know what to do either, so naturally he made a plan.  _Find who threw the knife. If it's Annabeth, great. If it's not, kill it. If it's got Annabeth, kill it twice._

It sounded good enough to Percy. He scooped up her dagger and made his way up, not knowing how much he'd regret his choice of tactic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do we think? Let me know!


	5. Hauled Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gotta save Annabeth!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye Tumblr @cimmerianhuntress and @wingedhuntress

Percy continued his steep climb. He had misjudged the terrain, and the loose dirt slid downward under his sneakers. As he looked around, he saw nothing but the ground that was illuminated by the celestial bronze weapons. Beyond that, all was black. That wasn't going to help him at all, but Percy didn't see anything he could do about it.

From above him, a soft hiss greeted his ears. Raising Riptide in his right hand and Annabeth's dagger in the other, he glared into the darkness. He could hear the gravel grinding together as something stalked him unseen. The noise moved back and forth, as if it was pacing, but Percy kept his eyes in it's direction. Then, the walking stopped dead. Not a sound.

Annabeth's cry broke the silence like a whip, "Percy, look out!"

From his right a shadow lunged into his vision. He spun to defend himself, but he was knocked sideways onto his back. The ugly creature landed on top of him, and Percy jabbed upward with Annabeth's knife. It sunk in up to the hilt. With a wretched squeal, the huge animal backed off far enough for him to get a good look that he wished he had gone without.

The thing was basically a enlarged black widow, with a woman's face; except it wasn't a human face. Pincers protruded from the corners of her mouth and two eyes sprouted from her temples, giving her four eyes total. Her body was huge, but eight hairy legs supported her easily. She stumbled about screeching, trying to reach the blade. Under normal circumstances, this would have disintegrated a monster and sent their spirit here. But with her already being here, Percy had no idea what would happen. The spider managed to wrestle the dagger from her abdomen, crying out as she did so. Her face looked as if she was in pain, but the only proof of injury was a black powder that dripped from the cut.

Archniae hissed, "Stupid mortal! I cannot die here. This is where I will dwell until my patron calls.  _You,_ however, can perish the same as you do above." With that, she lurched towards him with amazing speed. Percy dove to his right, rolling and spinning to come up facing the spider. She spat at him, then charged again. He tried to dodge left, but as she flew by she shot web straight towards his chest. He tried to avoid it, but it caught his right arm. Once the spider noticed she had got him, she bolted up the slope. Hitting the ground hard, Percy lost his grip and his sword thudded to the dirt. His hands pawed at the web, but he knew he couldn't cut it without his weapon. He had no plan anymore, and all he could do was thrash and try to lessen the damage he was taking. Being pulled unwillingly, uphill, over hard soil, by a oversized, ugly, hairy black bug? Not fun.

Percy really missed Riptide. It should be in his pocket soon, but now would be great. His arm felt like it was being ripped from it's socket as he trailed behind the evil creature. She seemed to be taking him somewhere, and as the floor leveled out, he knew they'd emerged from the pit he'd fallen into earlier.  _You're too far from Annabeth._ He spun to reach his pocket, relieved to find Riptide had reappeared. He tore it out and removed the cap. Percy sliced through the silk before his sword had even grown to full size.

The ground continued to slide by beneath him even after the web was gone. He hadn't realized how fast the spider could travel. Percy wanted to take a nice little break and lay there for awhile, but he knew he couldn't. He forced himself up, struggling to see into the gloom. With his sword in his grasp, he turn back the way he had come. He'd heard Annabeth's voice warn him, so she couldn't be unconscious. She was back on the hill somewhere, and she had let any monsters nearby know where she was for him. Just that made Percy feel lousy. He hadn't even killed the monster.

He began running as quietly as he could. The spider had to be following him, to kill him or try to drag him away again. Once Percy finally came upon the downward slope, he was careful to keep his footing. He studied the ground before him as he jogged, and came to a halt when he saw a lump in his path. He approached cautiously, but went to pick it up when he realized it was a backpack. Not just a random one, either. It was Annabeth's. The one she had lost to the pit before they had taken the fall. Driving Riptide into the ground, he scooped up the bag with his now-free hands. Percy un-zipped it, squinting to see in the half-light. Inside, Daedalus's laptop was in surprisingly good shape after the trip to Tartarus. On one side, it had a large dent in the corner, but that was the only damage the computer took. Other than that, there was a bottle that was about half full with nectar, some colorful string, and a strip of leftover bubble wrap.  _Well, that's very helpful._ Percy slid the backpack over his shoulder and pulled his sword from the ground. As he stepped to continue after Annabeth, a disturbingly familiar voice echoed through the darkness. The voice of an older woman, with a middle eastern accent. It was oozing triumph and false sympathy.

"Oh, my dear! What might a sweet orphan like yourself be doing down here?"  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is happening, who could it be?


	6. Torture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's probably exactly what it sounds like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still on Tumblr @cimmerianhuntress and @wingedhuntress! Come talk to me!

Percy felt a chilling blade run down his neck. He couldn't believe he was that unlucky. Meeting  **her** down here, when there were so many other monsters to encounter.  _I wonder if her eyes will still turn me to stone._

Medusa ran the knife back up to his hairline. "You seem to be losing your nerve, my dear!" She cried. "Let me put you at ease."

Percy shut his eyes tight and turned away as she leaned closer, thinking about his chances of getting away without being stabbed. He didn't like them, seeing as the moment he moved Medusa only had to jab forward to stick him right in the head. He heard her snakes hissing at him, laughing as if they were waiting for him to be made into a statue. Medusa gripped his left arm, cackling, "Drop the sword, puny hero. Maybe I'll find a way to take your gnome back to my garden, hmm? " She hissed and tightened her grip. Percy did the same on Riptide. He slashed upward, trying to slice her leg, but she launched herself straight at him. Waves of pain rolled over him as she slashed the metal of the blade down his right side, cutting the strap off Annabeth's backpack and making him drop his sword. Medusa dragged him to the ground like a football player, flipping him to his back with great speed... too much speed for an old lady.

Percy had only enough time to close his eyes again before she had the knife under his chin. He could feel her sour breath on his face as she spat at him. "Sweet, stubborn orphan. Why are you so violent? Just open your beautiful eyes. Why should you continue to labor for Olympus? You've done enough. Open your eyes, I want to see them!" She dug the blade deeper into his skin as he struggled against her. Percy's  side was burning from the long wound, and it was bleeding heavily. He could feel it soaking into his shirt around his backpack. She sat over his stomach, carefully pinning both of his arms under her knees. He thought quickly. He couldn't see anything, but he figured if he was able to run he wouldn't be able to see in the darkness until Riptide came back. He brought up his knees into Medusa's back in an effort to throw her off. She lurched forward, but that only drove her hands toward his face. Percy had no warning until the dagger cut a fair-sized gash from under his chin and across his left cheek.

Medusa regained control during his shock, and sat down hard on his stomach, squeezing the last of his breath from him. "You try and try, but you should know by now it's hopeless. Gaea has given up on you. You are to be painfully executed, but I can save you from that. Open your eyes, hero." Percy continued to struggle. He didn't know what he was hoping was going to happen, but he did know he wasn't going to be another one of Medusa's statues. But this was the first he'd heard of Gaea giving up on him. Did that mean that she didn't want him as a sacrifice anymore? Maybe Medusa was lying.

She got up closer to his face, try to coax him into looking on her, but soon became impatient. She pushed the edge of the switchblade into Percy's right shoulder. Slowly, pain seeped to life where she cut him. "You think I won't make you? Silly boy, for every ten seconds you keep your eyes closed, I'll gift you with one of these." Quick as a flash, she pulled the knife back sharply, making Percy cry out. He couldn't help it. He never fully understood why torture was so horrible, and he'd never wanted to find out. But he knew now. It wasn't so much the pain, although it was terrible in itself. No, the worst was the anticipation, the thought of the agony that's on the way, and not knowing when or if it will ever stop.

Medusa worked to keep Percy under control. He writhed under her dagger, in a haze of pure terror. He couldn't see, he had three decent injuries, and no hope of getting away.

"Calm down, my dear. This doesn't have to happen. Just show me your eyes!" She told him. For a split second, Percy considered it. The mere thought scared him, but it would be easier, wouldn't it?  _Whoa. No way._ He had Annabeth.  _Annabeth!_  He'd just have to hold out until she found him. Once she did, all he needed was a small distraction.  _You can do this. You have to._

Suddenly, the knife ripped down his arm again, not an inch from the last one. Percy whimpered behind his teeth, but didn't yell. Then, he thought up an idea.

"MEDUSA!" He screamed as loud as he could. He didn't want Medusa to know about Annabeth, and Annabeth needed to know not to look at their enemy. But, unfortunately, the enemy did not like his outburst.

"Shut up! They will come, and they will kill you. My way is much better. Now, I want to SEE YOUR EYES!" She screeched. Lashing out with her weapon, she drew it strait across his chest. Agony stretched across his whole body, making his vision turn red. Percy's mind started slowing down, not able to focus on anything that might save him. Struggling, kicking, and yelling, he continued his hazed panic. Without warning, a loud smack and a shriek sounded above him. The weight of Medusa disappeared from his stomach, and he could finally breathe again. Gasping for air, he tried to steady his pulse. He kept his eyes closed, but he could hear Medusa screaming for mercy.

"No! I was trying to help! I'm saving him from their terrible plans." She begged as Percy's head  began to clear. Annabeth's voice reached his ears, unforgiving and furious.

"All you were going to do is kill him. For that, I'm going to kill  _you_." With a sickening thwack, Medusa stopped talking.

Percy heard Annabeth's footsteps as she approached, "Percy! Percy, are you okay? Look at me, you're safe now." She continue to convince him until he slowly forced his eyes open. There she was, gazing down on him with love and concern as she pulled her backpack out from under him. She slid it open to take inventory while speaking softly to calm him down. As she pulled out the nectar, she looked down at him, searching for his injuries. "You need to be ready to go, Percy. We've got bigger problems than grandmothers that want you for their garden."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So was that what you expected? Let me know!


	7. Finding Knives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They find a knife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr @cimmerianhuntress and @wingedhuntress; come say hi!

 

"Keep watch while I do this," Annabeth told Percy as she pulled the colorful string from her backpack. He tried to sit up, but pain shot up his side and chest. Annabeth sighed as she dribbled nectar into his mouth. "I've got nothing to wrap you up in. I don't think a tourniquet will work on your side, either." She was trying to stay calm for his sake, once again. Percy glanced down at his front, only to find that his shirt was chopped up and soaked red.  _It's not much use now._  Riptide glowed from where he dropped it earlier. Then it hit him.  _I can use my shirt._  With his left hand, he dragged his sword towards him and began cutting at the fabric.

"I can't believe I didn't think of that!" Annabeth marveled. She took the blade from his hand and carefully began slicing his shirt to shreds. As he watched closely, he felt his head begin to swim and his vision grow darker. "Just don't fall asleep, Percy. We can't stay here." He went limp as she gently pulled his shirt from under him. She began tying the strips around his various wounds, one around his shoulder, one across his chest, and quite a few around his right side. Each one she pulled tight hurt at first, but soon became numb. She was moving to dress his cheek when they heard a crunch of gravel off to his left. He shot to a sitting position, instantly wincing, as Annabeth scooped her bag and shirt strips up and threw them over her shoulder. "I'll get your chin later. We have to go." She then capped his sword, making all light disappear and engulfing them in blackness. Pulling Percy to his feet, she began guiding him in the opposite direction of the noise.

Still woozy, Percy did his best to keep up with Annabeth. Not being able to see was really disorienting, and both of them stumbled over each other. After a while, Annabeth began to slow their pace till they were walking slowly. "You doing okay?" She asked. "I'm going to take out your sword, alright?" Uncapping it, it glowed to life and illuminated both of their faces. She looked like a ghost that had been thrown off a cliff, with scratches and scrapes on her pale chin and arms. He could only imagine how horrid he must look. "Oh, geez, Percy. We need to clean you up." She got into her backpack to grab some of his shirt.

He looked around, and was attracted by a slight shimmer breaking into the black surrounding them. He turned and walked toward it, like a moth to flame. Annabeth looked up, confused, "What are you doing? Percy, stop!" She gripped his arm to hold him back.

"Look over there," He whispered, pointing. She gasped, then began to look excited.

"Percy, is that my knife?" She was bursting with anticipation. The strips of shirt she brought out of the pack she shoved back in. "Let's go get it!" She was almost skipping she ran off.

Percy took off after her, still having some trouble with his basic motar skills. "Wait up," he called ahead. They still didn't know if there were monsters nearby, and based on past events, there were. Annabeth seemed to be ignoring him, to busy sprinting for her dagger. Now that he thought about it, that blade did mean a lot to her. Trying to catch up, he could see his sword glowing as Annabeth ran with it.  _At least I won't lose her._ She stopped to stoop down, allowing him time to struggle to her side. Her dagger was hugged tight to her chest. "That's it?" He checked.

"Yep. What are the odds?" She laughed happily as she said it, a thing Percy never thought he'd hear in this dark place. But as soon as their spirits began to lift, they were crushed with just one sentence.

"The odds aren't as good as you might think, my dear."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no! Another mysterious being! Who could it be this time?


	8. Lights Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A light goes out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Tumblrs remain @cimmerianhuntress and @wingedhuntress. If someone knows of a way I can post these somewhere y'all can find them and not have to write them at the beginning of each chapter, please let me know!

Percy gasped and searched for the source of the voice. Annabeth did the same, but even with Riptide and her knife they couldn't see more than a few meters away. Percy began to feel claustrophobic, as if the darkness were caving in on them. Suddenly, fiery light exploded all around them, making them both shield their eyes. Black spots danced in his vision as Percy tried to see in the abrupt brightness. He felt dirty, calloused hands grip his arms and pin them behind his back. Instinct made him fight them, but it was no use. His eyes adjusted quickly to the light and soon there were only a few blurry spots in his vision. Directly across from him, Annabeth was being held on her knees by a grotesque, man-like creature that was at least twice her height. He must have been an ogre of some type; Annabeth would know. Percy glanced behind him and noticed that the creature was holding his arms behind him. It took him a moment to realize their worst problem wasn't who was holding them.

The light was coming from many torches that surrounded them in a circle, almost like an arena.  _That brings back bad memories._ What was worse, each one was being held by a different monster. He saw some that he'd seen before, and others that he never knew existed. Some he actually recognized, or at least thought he did. One off to Percy's left looked too much like Polyphemus, a cyclops that they left in the Sea of Monsters after re-damaging his eye. On the other side of the circle, very familiar  _Empousa_ cheerleader, Kelli, stood with her torch held away from her already fiery hair. She grinned wickedly, and mocked him with blown kisses. He felt himself grow hot and struggle harder against his captor. He eventually made eye contact with Annabeth, who shook her head ever so slightly side to side.  _Save my strength. I'm going to need it._  He stopped moving, and let himself go limp instead. Surprised by the sudden added weight, the ogre holding him began to bend forward until Percy was on his knees across from Annabeth. Pleased with this, the ogre got a more comfortable grip and relaxed a little. With nothing better to do, Percy began searching for the monster that had spoken earlier. His head swung as he scanned the crowd. In front of him, Annabeth's eyes grew wide and she opened her mouth to speak. Just as fast her captor covered her mouth so her yell was muffled.

Percy didn't get a chance to turn around. The rock smashed into the back of his head so hard he fell out of his ogre's arms. He was out like a light before he even touched the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at that, the light was Percy's consciousness the whole time! Crazy.


	9. Desperate Measures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Circumstances arise, and Percy is forced to take action.

Percy struggled to gain consciousness. He couldn't force his arms or legs to move. It was like water was slowly pouring over his head, and he was slowing getting mobility back in his body. His eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the dim light of the room.  _Room?_ There were four walls and a ceiling in a rectangle shape around him, with gaps close to his right and across from him on the left that must have been doors. On his left, there was a table with a tray on it. At the far end of the room, a hearth was roaring with flames. Looking down, he realized he was pinned to a bed with wrist and ankle restraints. It wasn't so much a bed as it was a hard surface on legs, but the restraints were exactly what they sounded like. Restricting.

Footsteps became audible from the door on his left. From it emerged a monster not unlike the ogre that had held him before he lost consciousness. It's voice sent goose bumps up Percy's spine as it addressed the room, "How much closer are we to being ready?" He was gazing toward the fire, and hadn't seen Percy yet. Over by the fire, he nearly leapt out of his skin as a lump he hadn't noticed before stretched towards the ceiling. It was another ogre, excepting this one had greenish skin, whereas the other had red.  _I'll call them Red and Green._ Unfortunately, it was hardly the time for joking.

"We're almost there. However,  I need more Greek fire for the pot. These flames simply aren't hot enough." This voice was deeper and somehow darker than Red's was. At Green's complaint, Red turned to leave the room, but stopped dead when he saw Percy.

"Well, well, well." He grinned. "Look who's up!" Red began walking toward Percy menacingly. Green turned and followed. Percy had no idea what to do. He had no hope of getting out of the braces without a blade, and his hand couldn't reach far enough into his pocket to use Riptide. With no options, he waited for them to reach to him.

Green sniffed in his direction. "We have no time for this. I have a poison to brew. Just knock him out with something." He then went over to the corner to Percy's left and began examining the tray, possibly for a tool to "knock him out" with.

Red smiled, and assured Green, "I'll just give him a hook." He turned to Percy. "Sleep tight."

Percy attempted to stop them. "Why am I even here?" Grinning ear to ear, Red balled his fist and brought it right up against Percy's temple, exploding stars in his vision.

* * *

The next time Percy woke up, he had the sense to keep his eyes closed. He tested his restraints again as slowly as he could, but all four leather wraps were tight and secure. He listened as carefully as he could, and heard the fire sparking. Over top of that, he could hear Green talking with Red on the other side of the room.

Red's voice was raised and angry, "I need to be sure of the affects, Agrios! If one thing goes wrong-"

Green, or Agrios, interrupted with barely controlled calm. "It will work. He'll end up wanting to kill every one of his little friends. That I can be sure of." He huffed, exasperated.

 _What is he talking about?_ They couldn't be talking about Percy, but who else would they be talking about? He would never lay a hand on his friends. He put extra effort into slowing his breathing; it was necessary to hear this conversation. Red piped up again, still uncertain, "I need to know how severe it will be, and when it will wear off. If it's not precise, the boss will have my hide."

Agrios sighed in frustration. "His memories will be re-made. His friends faces and names will be replaced with ones that he doesn't know. His enemies will be replaced with his friends." He paused for breath and affect. "He'll hate them the moment he sees them. However, I cannot be sure if the original enemies will be forgotten or not." He grunted and shuffled his feet.

Red growled. "Fine. You said you needed a last ingredient? We'll go fetch it, and stop to tell the boss on the way back." His footsteps echoed as he crossed the room.

"No!" Agrios yelled. "I don't have time for that. I have no less than eight minutes to get that ingredient in. I will talk to the boss after I finish up the procedure." He marched from the room as if all was settled.

Red obviously wasn't happy with that answer. He ran after him calling, "That is unacceptable! What if it doesn't react properly?" They continued arguing until they were out of earshot.

Percy let his eyes open to slits. Glancing over the room, it seemed empty. He sat up and looked around. He pulled at his restraints, but they only allowed his hands and feet to move a few centimeters in any direction. All at once, he realized he had no idea what to do. He couldn't get to his sword, so he couldn't cut his cuffs. If the ogres were having a real conversation, then he was going to end up wanting to kill his friends and possibly replace them with his enemies.  _What can I even do about it?_ He searched the room, desperately looking for a way out.

On the side table, the tray still sat with tools on it. Percy stretched as far as he could to look. It was a tool kit for a typical surgeon. There were many sharp objects that might be able to cut his bonds, but the scalpel was his best bet. It had the sharpest blade. His hand was way too far from the table, so he reached over with his head. He worked to bite the handle of the tool, and once he finally got it in his teeth he dropped it down next to his right hand. Snatching it up, he began working one-handed on the cuff. All it was now was a race against the clock.

He continued his efforts, but he knew he wasn't making enough progress. The scalpel was working, but too slowly. He still had half a centimeter to go when he heard the voices of Agrios and Red returning. Panicking, he sliced back and forth, and by the time it cut through, they were just outside the door. He held back the wave of failure that threatened to consume him, and tried to think.  _Annabeth, I'm so sorry._ Just like that it came to him. He reached over and carved letter after letter into his left forearm, making sure it was so deep it's scar would never fade. His captors entered the building right as he finished her name.

**ANNABETH**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, that feels really intense for my 7th grade self. Oh well, Percy is a BAMF.


	10. Long Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Percy's attempt to remember pay off?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay Tumblr @cimmerianhuntress and @wingedhuntress! I'm much too lazy for this, so I'm gonna stop reminding you and just mention this again at the end. Come say hi!

As quick as he could, Percy tried to make the best of a horrid situation. Slipping the scalpel under his back, he laid down and put his arm back where it would be if his cuff were still attached to the bed. Neither of the ogres seemed to have noticed Percy's escape attempt. He turned over his left arm so the new cuts wouldn't be so obvious. Keeping his eyes closed he focused on getting more information from his captors.

Red and Agrios seemed deep in a conversation. Agrios was trying to make a point. "This is the best shot and you know it. Our resources can be used so much better in other places, not dealing with those demigods. Once our little puppet does his thing, the boss will get so much praise that we might actually be able to leave this place." His tone bubbled with anticipation.

Red seemed to be whimpering, unsure. "It only takes one mishap for everything to be ruined. What if you can't get the stuff down his throat?" He seemed to be searching for something wrong with this 'plan'.

"If he won't take it by mouth," he replied, "I'll inject him with it." He laughed, making Percy flinch. Both ogres stopped talking. Percy could tell they had seen him.

"Well, well, well." Red copied himself from last time Percy had been caught awake. "Someone's eavesdropping." With no point to faking anymore, Percy made eye contact. Both of them had a look that said "mentally unstable", and it put his teeth on edge.

Agrios waved his hand. "Might as well get this over with now. Sooner is better than later." He crossed to the table and picked up a bowl made of wood. Handing it to Red he asked, "Could you spoon some of the pot in here, Thoon?" Red-Thoon crossed over to the fire as Agrios turned to Percy. "Are you willing to drink a little soup for me?" He flashed a condescending smile.

Percy wouldn't, of course. "I'm not eating anything from you." Agrios grinned.

"I was hoping you'd say that."

Thoon came back with the bowl filled to the brim. "Here." He handed it to Agrios.

"Don't worry, godling." He sneered. "You'll change your mind soon." He lifted the bowl above his head, then began to slowly pour it over Percy's head and body.

The liquid reacted like acid. He could hear his skin bubbling as the mixture touched it. The pain was unlike anything he'd felt before. If you held up the sky while bathing in the Styx, you'd still only feel part of the pain he felt now. Percy couldn't help himself; he screamed like a dying banshee. His mind went completely blank, with only room to register the agony. He didn't see Thoon leave to refill the bowl. The sensation boiled down to the point where he could hear Agrios ask him again.

"Are you willing to drink my soup, little demigod?"

Percy grunted in effort to respond. "Never."

Agrios dumped the second bowl over his body. This time, it just intensified the feeling he already felt. His energy was instantly sapped, he barely had the strength to yell. He struggled to suppress the pain, and by the time it died down he could barely lift his finger or keep his eyes open.

"I bet you still don't want to drink my special soup. Oh, well. I'll just have to give you the injection." Agrios reached to the tray and picked up a hypodermic needle filled with a dark purple liquid. Percy tried to lean away, but simply couldn't muster the ability. Agrios plunged the needle into Percy's arm, pushing the poison into his bloodstream. Drawing it out, he smiled. "See?" He cawed. "That wasn't so bad." Then he moved to the tray again, setting down the needle and returning to the bedside. He began undoing the restraints on his hands and feet. "We don't need these anymore. Once you're crazy, I want you to be able to leave without interference."

Percy already was feeling different. It was a burning sensation spreading outward from the injection. It spread to his head, then seemed to pool there, burning a hole in his mind. The two ogres chuckled to each other as they left the room.  _I have to get out of here._ He lie unmoving, trying to gather his energy while his mind slowly caved in. With one big effort, he pushed himself off the bed. Triumph was short, however, when he landed hard on his right side. Grunting, he worked to get into an army-crawl position. Slowly he pushed himself toward the door.

As he did, distorted flash-backs replayed themselves in his mind. He remembered back to the end of the Titan War, when Chiron stood up to his father, Kronos. Except, in his memory, all the people he knew began to fade. Nameless figures took their places, but he could have sworn he knew them. The more he thought about it, the more he thought he remembered these new people, and the more he forgot who was actually there. After the memory was fully changed, another took it's place and replaced faces and names of enemies and friends.

The process continued, and Percy became more confused and frustrated. His pain grew, and his anger grew with it. The worst parts of him- his hatred, his pain, his rage- destroyed his sensibility and turned him into a monster. By the time his mind was done with it's scramble, he was marching though the blackness, sword in hand. He screamed and yelled, insane in his irrational fury. The further he walked, the more enemies heard him. When the first one approached, Percy struck it down without hesitation. It didn't die, so he continued to attack the beast until it couldn't move any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, Percy! My poor baby...


	11. Helpless Struggles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where's Annabeth during all this?

Annabeth tried to warn him, too.

She struggled against the fat ogre holding her arms behind her as Percy forced himself to his knees. His captor seemed okay with this, and was perfectly happy to lean on Percy's back instead of standing up himself. Annabeth wanted nothing more than to slice him to bits, but all around them was an army of monsters that couldn't die.  _Typical._

Behind Percy, the crowd parted to let though two figures. At first, Annabeth didn't recognize either of them, but as their forms became clear she had to fight back her panic. The leading woman's snake hair was suspiciously quiet and her face was slightly deformed from where Annabeth had struck her earlier. She'd managed to find herself a veil to wear, probably because half her face was bashed in and she wasn't looking too good. Behind Medusa, the giant shape of a spider loomed, sticking to the shadows as best as she could. Annabeth sucked in breath to warn Percy, but her captor slammed his disgusting hand over her mouth. Medusa brought a large stone from under her shawl, gripping it menacingly. Annabeth fought in vain, but as Percy began turning Medusa clubbed him in the back of his head. His guard let him drop to the ground, so he gracefully landed face first in the gravel.

Annabeth's ogre took his hand from her mouth. "Percy!" She cried out. Looking to Medusa, she screeched with rage. "How dare you?" She continued to resist the ogre's grip and glared Medusa down. See smiled with no warmth in her gaze.

"I did tell him I was trying to help. Now he must endure the pain I told him would come." She snapped her fingers, and a demon with bat wings and one slithering trunk came forward with steel chains in hand. It knelt beside Percy's limp body and pulled his arms above his head, wrapping the chains tight around his wrists.

Annabeth, for once, had no clue what she was supposed to do. "Leave him alone." She told Medusa, in her best 'I'm going to kill you' voice. Medusa just sighed, like Annabeth was an ant that she would squish underfoot. From the edge of the circle, Arachne emerged from the gloom and crawled towards the center of the circle. At the sight of her, Annabeth had to force herself not to pass out in fear. The huge arachnid herself was horrifying and brought back terrible memories. She came to stand in front of Percy, which put her only feet away from Annabeth's face. She snarled and clamped her pinchers closed. Annabeth flinched back, barely able to keep herself from fainting in fear. Behind Arachne, Medusa had taken the chains from the bat-snake, and began wrapping them around Arachne's abdomen. Her demon stepped forward as she finished, clamping a padlock down on the chains to secure them.

Medusa stood back to examine her handiwork. "That'll do nicely. Go now." At her command, Arachne strained forward and easily dragged Percy behind her. She crawled right by Annabeth and towards the edge of the circle. Percy scraped along only feet behind her. Annabeth began fighting the guard once more, but she was helpless to do anything as Percy rubbed past her leg. His arms hung above him and his head drooped till it almost hit the ground.

Annabeth struggled to fight back her rising hysteria. "Let. Him. Go." She tried to think of a valid threat, but she knew nothing would work. She was the least threatening figure here, excepting Percy, of course. He was barely visible now, being dragged off into the darkness flanked by guards. She always relied on her knowledge and tactic to get herself out of these situations, only now, she didn't have the upper hand.

All these thoughts rushed through her mind until Medusa broke in. "Oh, dear, I'm afraid I can't do that. I made a deal, you see. However, the mistress didn't say much about what to do with you." She held her chin in her hand, like she was thinking critically. It made Annabeth sick. "I suppose I could just leave you here until they're done with your little  _hero,_  but what fun would that be? I'm sure I can get some juicy information out of you." Annabeth sat up quickly as Medusa approached her. The ring of monsters wavered and hissed as their excitement grew. Kneeling down, Medusa held her rock up to Annabeth's face. She clearly saw Percy's blood smeared across it. Fury burned inside her.

"So, dear," Medusa said calmly. "Is there anything I should know? Anything interesting happening above?" Her veil still covered her face, but Annabeth could make out her smirk.

Thinking carefully, Annabeth replied, "We've turned the tide." She spoke louder, hoping to have more monsters listen. "The Romans and Greeks have united, and Gaea will soon fail." She tried to sound as sincere as she could, but her act fell apart when the whole circle erupted with laughter. Medusa smiled under her veil, then stabbed downward with her stone. It embedded itself in Annabeth's leg- not deep, but definitely enough to get her attention. She cried out, and had to bite her lip not to scream and thrash. When Medusa brought the stone out, Annabeth couldn't tell the difference between her own blood and Percy's. The wound wasn't severe, but Medusa could easily make it that way. Annabeth took a deep breath, then looked up. Her mind worked overtime trying to come up with a way out of this.  _Come on, think._ She opened her mouth to try and buy time, but a deep voice echoed from the circle's edge.

"Medusa, stop wasting time." Medusa shot to her feet. The voice demanded obedience and projected evil confidence. It was definitely male, and old. "We don't need the girl, and there are other matters to attend to."  _Where is that coming from?_ Annabeth couldn't see the source around Medusa's form, even when she bowed in the voice's direction.

"Of course, my lord." She turned back around, tossing her rock up and down in her palm. Her expression conveyed annoyance, as if she hated the speaker but had no choice but to obey him. She turned to Annabeth, sighing. She lowered her voice and spoke directly into Annabeth's ear, "We are not done." Then stood and turned, smacking Annabeth in the head with the rock as she did so. Annabeth fell, still conscious when she hit the ground. Her eyes were closing as Medusa crossed the circle, which was breaking and following behind her. They all left and took the light with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no! What's gonna happen now?


	12. Discovering Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth wakes up.

When Annabeth woke up, her head was swollen and sore. Her ankle throbbed like she'd twisted it. She lay on her front, splayed out like road kill. Her knife was lying just out of her reach above her head.  _Not a good sign._ Medusa must have chosen to leave it there, but why give Annabeth her weapon? Possibilities rushed through her mind, struggling to come up with her answer.

Suddenly, she realized she was wasting time. She sprung to her feet and scooped her dagger off the dirt. Percy had been drug off somewhere by Arachne, and she had no idea how long ago or which direction to head in. She spun in circles, looking a sign... of anything, really. Closing her eyes, she prayed to her mother, or any other god that would listen.  _Mother, please._ She doubted Athena would be able to help her, even if she was willing to. Annabeth stopped at random, and forged ahead blindly. When she opened her eyes, she could have sworn there was a faint light, pale and red, glowing ahead of her.  _Is that an... owl?_ Her eyes must've been fooling her.

Despite her disbelief, she started running in that direction. Everything was black outside her small circle of light, and she couldn't help thinking of how much darker it was without Riptide, Percy's sword. Pushing those depressing ideas aside, she tried to formulate a plan. Planning normally calmed Annabeth down, allowing her to put aside issues and focus on the future, but this just made her realize how incredibly dark her knowledge was. She had nothing to help her, no details to depend on. Gods, she didn't even know if there was a way out of Tartarus. Nico was the only mortal to ever go into the pit and he barely escaped with his life, even being the son of Hades. He had said something about the doors of death, but could she find them? Was that even possible? Would she be able to find Percy in time to seal them? On that optimistic note, a strangled scream echoed from up ahead. Annabeth poured on the speed to reach it.

She was guided by sound alone. No light surrounded the creature. At first, Annabeth had assumed it was Percy, but when her knife's light reached it, she gagged on her own vomit and flinched away. The girl wasn't yelling anymore, but her labored breathing was enough to tell Annabeth she was very much alive. She probably wished she wasn't.

She looked like any regular girl, about fifteen years old with light brown hair and pale skin. She had to be a demon, but nothing apart from her injuries looked demon-like. She might have once been pretty, but she definitely wasn't now. She wore a greek _chiton_ , though it hung in shreds from her shoulders. Her body was mangled, sliced up and down. Monsters didn't have blood, so her body was blanketed with black powder that poured from her injuries. Her face looked like it had been smashed with the grip of a sword, and her skull caved in slightly over her right eye. The horrid image branded itself into Annabeth's mind, never to be forgotten.

And her mother's owl had wanted her to see it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why would Athena show her that, I wonder?


	13. Disturbing Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth talks to the not-so-monster.

Annabeth flinched back when she realized the monster was trying to speak. "Help..." She whispered, and Annabeth had to lean in to make out her words. "Help me." She struggled to continue her sentence. Annabeth was stricken with conflicting emotions- this wasn't how she normally encountered monsters. Yes, there was Tyson and Mrs. O'Leary, but they were exceptions. Questions flooded her mind.  _Can I help her? Should I help her? Does she know where Percy is?_

After thinking about it, she knew she had to try and help. Not all monsters had to be horrible, she just hoped she wasn't making a grave mistake in trusting this one. Annabeth knelt beside the girl's head, trying to coax her into talking. "Okay. What do I need to do?" The girl raised her hand, surprising Annabeth and gripping her arm.

"Just..." She drew in breath, "Bandages. Do you have bandages?" Annabeth wasn't sure what she was expecting, but she wasn't expecting that. She peered into her bag, seeing Percy's shirt still in strips inside. Pulling them out, she looked for the worst injuries to bind first.

Annabeth decided to keep the girl talking. "What's your name?" She chose a large and deep gash across the girl's stomach and began wrapping it up.

The girl looked her in the eyes, like she was deciding whether or not to trust her. "I am Andromeda of Ethiopia." Annabeth didn't hear her whole sentence. She stared in fascination at Andromeda, and the legend came back to her. She was the daughter of King Cepheus and Cassiopeia. Her mother believed that Andromeda was the most beautiful maiden of the age, even more graceful than Poseidon's nereids. Nobody should go around mocking the gods, and when Cassiopeia bragged over her daughter, Poseidon sent a monster to destroy Ethiopia. He demanded Andromeda to be sacrificed in order to spare Ethiopia. With no other choice, she was chained to a rock for Posidon, but Perseus, the original Perseus, son of Zeus, saved her. Annabeth's meeting Andromeda couldn't have been a coincidence, not by a long shot. Not only did she marry Percy's namesake, but she was also the masthead of Kronos' old cruise ship. The fact that she was in Tartarus meant she had to have struck a deal with Gaea, knowingly or not, and was now in her service.  _Maybe f _or_ revenge on Poseidon?_

Andromeda grunted in pain, and Annabeth realized she'd tied her stomach too tightly. "I'm sorry!" She cried, and loosed the wrap. "Uh, what were you saying?" She moved on to a new injury, being as careful as she could in the dim light.

"I asked you your name." She said bluntly.  _My reaction to her name must've freaked her out._ Annabeth should've been more cautious with her answer, but she knew honesty would make Andromeda more willing to share information.

"I'm Annabeth." She told her, then took a deep breath. "I need to find my friend Percy; we got separated. Do you know where he is?" Annabeth avoided Andromeda's eyes, not wanting to betray any uncertainty she might be showing. As she bound Andromeda's wounds, she noticed they were unique to a specific greek blade. One that only one person in Tartarus should be wielding.

Andromeda's gaze bore into the side of Annabeth's head, pulling at her attention. She glanced over at her, and Andromeda responded before she could look away. "You are the second half-blood I have seen in Tartarus. The other was a boy your age, and he cut me down the moment he saw me. I hope that he is not the one you call 'friend'." Her words burrowed deep into Annabeth's mind, and she knew that Percy had done this. She didn't know why, but Andromeda didn't seem to be a threat. Annabeth would have been able to shrug it off, except that Andromeda was so injured that there was no way it had been an accident.  _Do I tell her the truth, or lie?_

Annabeth shrunk back. "What did he look like? Percy would never harm an innocent." Part of Annabeth considered that maybe Andromeda wasn't as harmless as she seemed, but she had no weapon. Even if she did, Percy was an excellent swordsman and could disarm her if he needed to.

Andromeda's mental shields went up. Annabeth could feel their short alliance grow stale. "His torso was covered in bandages and blood, both his own and of others. Is he the one you are searching for?" She stopped talking and analyzed Annabeth's reaction. Normally Annabeth could retain her emotions well, but her self-discipline was failing her. Andromeda pushed herself away from Annabeth. "Leave me alone. If he is your friend, then you are my enemy."

Annabeth stood, picking up all her supplies and stuffing them into her bag. She backed away, so taken aback by the whole situation that she didn't know what to say. Technically she had no reason to hate Andromeda. There was too much she didn't know.

She felt she had to say something, even if it was meaningless. "I'm sorry. Please try to find a way to understand; he would never do this of his own free will." Andromeda's unconvinced expression didn't give her much confidence, but at least she tried.

A long way off, angry yells reached their ears. Turning, Annabeth peered into the darkness. Andromeda's voice came from behind her, dreadfully certain. "There is your friend now. He will kill you the moment he lays eyes on you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No! Percy! What do we think thus far? Will Percy attack Annabeth?


	14. Horrid Combat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth and Percy reunite, but maybe not on great terms.

Andromeda's confidence chilled Annabeth to the bone. She turned to respond, but Andromeda had pushed herself to her feet, and was hobbling painfully in the opposite direction. Almost glad to see her go, and with no other choice, Annabeth began running towards the yells. At first she had assumed it wouldn't take long to reach the quarrel, but after a couple minutes she didn't seem any closer. Her dagger's orb of light glowed around her as she ran, and she realized she should be able to see Percy's sword before she reached him. As if on queue, a dim light began to cut the darkness. It grew bigger, and as it did the yells grew louder. The light bobbed and weaved though the dark, just like Percy's sword would. Soon Annabeth could hear more than yells; the clang of metal and bits of words that she could never bring herself to repeat. She picked up her pace until she was sprinting full tilt towards the fight.

She began to make out Percy with his sword, defending wildly against three swordsmen. They weren't men, however; they had no heads. Once within sight, Annabeth noticed their faces were displayed across their chests, and their armor was carefully sculpted to protect their face and gut. Each was armed with a different weapon, one with a spear and chain net, another with a short sword, and the other with a shield on one arm and a staff in the other. They all had minor injuries, obviously by Percy's hand, but he was losing his fight and Annabeth was still a good hundred meters away. Even though she was sprinting, time seemed to slow to a crawl. Percy stood in the center of his opponents, each coordinating their strikes against him. Staff-man aimed a blow to Percy's knees, which Percy deflected off the edge of his blade, allowing spear-man to throw his net around Percy's free arm. 

_70 yards to go._

Spear-man tugged at the net, pulling Percy backwards to the ground. Staff-man began slamming him in the chest with his staff. Percy struggled to free himself from the net while trying to deflect the attacks. It wasn't going well. He looked horrible, too, like this fight had been going on longer than Annabeth had seen it. He was covered in gashes, each surrounded by green and purple bruises. They couldn't have all been dealt by his three current attackers, either, some were stabs, some were punches, others were scratches from claws. Andromeda was right, he was covered in the bloody bandages Annabeth had applied earlier. They hung off him so torn that they should have fallen off long ago. He looked even worse than Andromeda had when Annabeth found her.

_50 yards._

Finally, Percy whipped his sword over his head and cut at the net. Although it didn't damage the chain, his sword edge slid along it until it reached spear-man's hand. It sliced straight through his wrist, gushing out dark powder. Spear-man grunted, but was otherwise unfazed. Apparently, he didn't have much need for his limbs. Once Percy's arm was free, he rolled backwards to get out of the spear-man's reach. Before he could stand, short-sword, who'd stood back and watched until this point, kneed him in the back and plastered him flat on the ground. His sword skittered from his hand to rest a few yards away. Resting on top of Percy, his attacker allowed it's company to start beating him, old fashion bully style.

_Almost there!_

None of them noticed Annabeth as she watched short-sword bring his heel down on Percy's head. He didn't lose consciousness, thank the gods, but he didn't continue to struggle or get up. The demons took turns kicking and punching him, beating him senseless. Right before Annabeth reached them, she could hear the demons laughing and chatting while they worked. She didn't wait to find out what they were talking about.

With her knife already in her hand she leaped towards spear-man, bending her left elbow so that it hooked under his arm and whipped him around. He and his comrades bellowed in surprise as he tried to regain his balance. Before he could, Annabeth brought her dagger down right between his eyes, ripping a hole in his armor. He burst out screaming and staggered away before Annabeth could retrieve her knife. Now weaponless, she turned to face the other two men. As she did, staff-man dropped his weapon and tackled her in the gut. Taking her by surprise and knocking her flat, he reared back his fist. Acting on impulse she shoved both hands upward, jabbing one into each of his wide eyes. Screeching, he flailed and grabbed at his chest. Pushing him off, she stood and faced the remaining sword-armed monster. He had moved from kneeling on Percy to standing with one foot on the ground, the other on Percy's head.

He considered Percy, moving his head with his sandals. "Is this yours?" His voice was full of false consideration.  _Don't let him crush Percy's skull. Distract him._

Thinking fast and putting on a nonchalant face, she responded with, "No, it's not." She managed to sniff in Percy's direction, as if in disgust. "However, I'm happy to destroy you and take his sword." Annabeth stepped forward and scooped up Riptide, leaving it glowing in her grasp. She tossed it from one hand to the next, pretending to judge it's weight. _Coax him away._ She turned away from the demon as he continued the conversation.

He seemed unimpressed with Annabeth's statement. "Why are you here then, demigod? Tartarus isn't a good place for you." Annabeth constantly checked his location with his voice, but decided not to answer his question. She walked over to the man she'd punched in the eyes, who was beginning to recover. She felt horrible, after seeing Andromeda completely chopped and diced, but Percy wouldn't recover from injuries like these demons would. Steeling her gut, she prepared to make her point, but she didn't have to do it on her own. The stupid creature didn't notice her weapon, and tried to catch her off-guard. As he lunged for her throat, Percy's sword sunk up to the hilt just beneath his left eye. He screamed, jumping up and panicking as if on fire. Gripping the hilt he pulled it from the wound, making it gush black dust. Dropping Riptide and grabbing at his face, he sprinted into oblivion with his cries echoing behind him.

Annabeth remembered she needed to keep her image straight. She grinned, trying her hardest to make it look genuine and amused. She then walked to Riptide and picked it up again. "Yep. I like this one." She swung it for show, remembering back to some skills Percy had taught her. Glancing around for her knife, she remembered it was still in the spear-man. Turning to him, she forced her lips into a smile. "I'd like that back too, though." She approached him, and he crawled backwards with terror in his large face.  _This is horrible. All of it._ She held out her hand, wanting to keep her act up long enough to scare away the leader. Or what she assumed was the leader.

The man let out a pitiful whimper, and reached up to his forehead. The damage looked fearsomely painful, but he braced himself and ripped it out, making it drip the black blood all monsters shared. Whining like a wounded animal, he began to drag himself away. Annabeth let him go. She couldn't bear to hurt him more. The last demon cleared his throat, drawing her attention. He was standing in front of Percy now, and watching Annabeth with wide eyes. She realized she must look pretty insane at the moment.

His expression was hard to read, mostly because it was literally spread across his entire body, but Annabeth got the sense that she'd turned him timid. He was shifting from foot to foot. "You cannot expect to destroy my brethren and go unpunished. You should have been more careful." He fought to keep his voice under control. With that he began stepping forward cautiously, his sword in front of him. Just behind him, Percy was stirring, slowly pushing himself off the ground. He looked horrible; he wouldn't be much use in this fight.  _I can't just leave him without a weapon, but I don't want short-sword here to notice him._ In a split second decision, Annabeth threw Riptide end-over-end towards the hostile swordsman. He easily dodged and his confidence grew. "You'll have to do better than that!" He lunged forward and met Annabeth head on, blade to blade.

He was a good swordsman. True, he wasn't as good as Percy, but Annabeth had to work to keep him in check. They exchanged moves, each looking for weaknesses to capitalize on. Eventulally, Luck decided to give him his golden opportunity. Annabeth received his overhead strike on the flat of her blade, and he managed to free up one foot to sweep Annabeth's legs from under her. Crashing down, he stood over her and prepared for his final strike. Just as his sword came down, Percy's sword tip ripped straight through his face from behind. Annabeth had become so focused she'd forgotten about Percy. The monster bellowed in anger and pain, but Percy didn't pull his blade out. He pushed it down, forcing the horrible being to his knees. With him out of the way, Annabeth could see Percy clearly.

And she didn't like what she saw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think so far? Drop me a comment!


	15. Rough Alliance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy and Annabeth are together; now what?

Percy continued to slowly force the demon downward. Annabeth couldn't get herself to focus on stopping him. She stared at his face, feeling her fear well up inside her.

He was staring at the monster's back, watching him sink to the ground. His eyes were bloodshot, and his pupils were so large that his irises were no more than slivers of green. His face was bloodied and beaten. He had a nick cut from his left ear that was dripping blood. His expression was so unlike him; enraged, confused, and insane. The monster hit his knees, struggling to get away from Percy, but Percy wasn't letting him go. He still pushed down, cutting through the man's stomach/face and making him scream in agony. It shocked Annabeth out of her daze.

"Percy!" She yelled as she stood. "He gets the point!" She was hoping he would realize what he was doing and stop, but a part of her knew that wasn't going to happen. His gaze barely even touched her before he shoved downward with all of his strength. Riptide sliced straight through the man like butter. His cries increased by a tenfold. He fell face first on the ground, and even though Annabeth looked away, she could hear the man gurgle his own blood.

She couldn't help herself. She stumbled away and retched. She held her hair away from her face, and all of the food in her stomach came up. Throat burning, she wiped her mouth on her shirt and turned to Percy. He had fallen to all fours, and was reaching for his sword. The only explanation Annabeth could come up with: he was exhausted and lost plenty of blood. Even though he found the energy to chop the demon in half, that had been the last of it. His sword must've become too heavy for him to hold, and his weight must've become too much for him to bear.

He made the mistake of trying to crawl towards Riptide. The moment he moved his leg, the rest of his limbs dropped him like a rag doll. He hit the ground with a muffled  _thump,_ and stayed there, unmoving. Annabeth's mind twisted in knots of confusion. She wasn't sure what to do or what not to do. There was definitely something wrong with Percy mind, there was too much evidence to deny that, but what was she supposed to do about it? What about the demon, who was trying to drag his body as far away as possible? Should she be...  _afraid_  of Percy, like Andromeda had said?

Annabeth couldn't take her painful thoughts anymore. She shut them out and just acted on impulse. Walking to Percy, she gently rolled him onto his back. He was breathing faintly, but his eyes stayed closed. She picked up Riptide and capped it, stuffing it in her pocket. She allowed all the thoughts of Percy's violence to disappear, focusing only on keeping him alive. Looking him over, she realized there was too much work to be done. She'd have to pick and choose which injuries to wrap or she'd run out of bandages before getting to the worst of them. Getting on with her task, she pulled her backpack off her shoulder and onto the ground. Unzipping it, she dug out all it's contents: Daedalus' laptop, her water bottle of nectar, the colorful string, bubble wrap, and the remaining strips of Percy's shirt. Taking the bottle first, she poured as much as she dared into Percy's mouth, whispering softly to him. He probably couldn't hear her anyway, but it helped Annabeth's racing mind. After making sure he didn't choke on the drink, she capped the bottle and set it aside. She then moved to the bandages, swiftly wrapping the ugliest of his wounds. Before long the strips ran out, and Percy looked just short of a mummy in linen. Taking her knife in one hand and the string in the other, she cut it to length and attempted to tie the bandages down so they wouldn't slip off the moment he stood. She had to roll him to the side to complete the ties, but Percy didn't show any resistance. He remained limp, reminding Annabeth painfully of when they first arrived in the pit and he took their impact all on his own. Just the thought of it reassured her that she'd be able to get Percy back to normal. He was such a loyal boyfriend, there was no way all of him was gone.

As Annabeth finished her string off, she looked Percy over to see what else she could do. There wasn't much, she'd covered the worst of the injuries, and there was no way to know if he had broken bones or internal bleeding until he started talking. With no other ideas, she began to cut the bottom of her shirt into bandages for later. They would definitely need them, whether they got out of the pit soon or not. She really wanted to avoid getting rid of her shirt altogether; even though they were in a black pit with no other humans, she had no desire to run around in her undergarments. She decided to cut off everything below her ribs and remove the sleeves, still managing to make a pile of strips that she was comfortable with. She applied a couple more to Percy, stuffing the rest in her pack with the nectar and bubble wrap.

 _What do I do now? I'm so lost, which direction am I supposed to start in?_  Annabeth gazed around her, hoping for another sign from her mother, but she was distracted by Percy's sudden groaning. Her eyes turned to him immediately. He had turned on his side, facing away from Annabeth, struggling to get to his knees. Grunting in effort, he heaved upward, successfully on all fours. His breathing was ragged and heavy, and his head hung towards the ground. All of a sudden, he began coughing and gagging. He couldn't lift a hand to cover his mouth or he'd fall over, so he just bowed his head to the ground. Annabeth rushed forward to help hold him up, but stopped short as blood splattered across the dirt. He lifted his arm to grab at his mouth, and would have face-planted into the ground if Annabeth hadn't caught him. She wrapped her arms around his chest and held him aloft as he coughed up a nasty red. As his wheezing decreased, his whole body froze in Annabeth's arms. Then, in one quick, jerking movement, he used her as a springboard and launched to his feet. Annabeth tumbled, but somersaulted backwards to gain her footing.

"Percy! What the heck?" She shouted at him.  _What is he thinking?_ Percy drew his pen out of his pocket, and Annabeth patted her pants in shock. "But I... Gods, I'm so stupid." Of course Riptide didn't stay in her pocket, it always returned to Percy's. He uncapped it and struggled to hold it in front of him. His face was completely drained of color, and he still had that mad look in his eyes that was so unlike him. His hands were covered in his own blood, and his mouth still had a stain of red that he'd failed to wipe away. Swaying on his own feet, he gave up on defending himself and used his sword as a cane, leaning on it heavily.

Annabeth took one step towards him before he screamed, "Get back! Stay away from me!" He struggled to look like a threat and brandish his sword ahead of him. "I'll tear you apart for what you've done!" Slowly he backed away, trying to keep his footing while looking Annabeth in the eye. She didn't know what to feel. Up until now, she'd only experienced his insanity's effects on other people. She stubbornly believed that she was different, and he would just be normal Percy to her. But through her pain of rejection, another emotion shot to the top of her priorities. Anger.

"What in Hades name are you talking about? I just helped you, you idiot!" She marched straight towards him to continue her rant, but she hadn't expected him to attack her, even if he was able. All he could manage was a simple overhead strike, but Annabeth was only barely able to catch it on her dagger blade. She held him there, and for awhile he tried to force his weapon down, only to run out of energy and begin leaning on her. "What's the matter with you? You'd never do this!" She looked him straight in the eye, but she wasn't getting a reading on anything. Normally she could understand what he was thinking at a glance, but not now. It was almost as if he  _wasn't_  thinking.

He gasped for breath to respond. "You... helped them... kill her..." His sword arm shook violently from strain, making him to fall forward on Annabeth. On impulse she caught him, which was probably a bad idea, but it didn't turn out to be an issue. Percy dropped Riptide as he fell, and didn't budge when she stepped in to help. Annabeth worked to keep him on his feet, eventually slinging his left arm over her shoulder and wrapping her right arm about his waist. Unable to see his vast injuries, she was oblivious to any damage she might be doing to him. Percy's feet scraped against the dirt as he tried to take on his own weight. His legs wouldn't put up with it, however, so every time he got them underneath him they'd simply buckle. Annabeth sighed.  _What do I do now? He can't even stand, and he wants to kill me._

Speaking clearly, hoping for an answer she could understand, she asked, "Percy, who did I help?" She squeezed his left hand with hers and pulled him higher on her shoulder. He shuddered, making Annabeth's gaze drift to his face. All she saw now was dark confusion and pain, like his memories were unclear but brutal.

"The monsters. Yes, it must have been them." He suddenly looked like he'd just grasped something, but his face quickly fell and his whole demeanor sagged as he lost it. "I... No, what you did is unforgivable." He attempted to free himself from Annabeth's side, but it took little effort to keep him in place.

"Percy, you can't walk or fight, and you don't know any more than I do how to get out of here." She prayed that she was right about that, or she might lose this debate. "I've never helped a monster in my life."  _Even though I technically have._ "Let me help you until we leave, then I'll go away." She crossed her fingers in her mind.

Percy seemed to be unwillingly considering the offer, and coming to terms with the fact that his blood-lusting rage wouldn't last long on his own. He began mumbling under his breath, but Annabeth could still hear him, "I can't... she hurt... bad idea... die without... not an ally..." Bringing his head up, he finally looked her in the eyes. "We can only go until we get out of this pit. Then you will leave me alone. Forever." His eyes looked bleached, to the point where his irises were barely distinguishable from the whites of his eyes.  _Forever? How can I agree to... No, he'll get better once we're out and he'll be like he used to be._

Still, Annabeth couldn't force herself to answer. She broke eye contact and instead focused on where to head now. Realizing she had no hope of knowing which direction she came from, she knew she had to come up with a good plan that would get them out. Closing her eyes and biting her lip, she prayed as loudly as she could.  _Mother, or any Olympians, if you want us to fight the giants for you... Well, a little assistance wouldn't hurt._ Annabeth wasn't expecting a response. She was never that lucky. Nonetheless, as she took a peek at the surrounding darkness, off to her left the faint outline of her mother's owl was growing dim. It's expression seemed to be annoyed, like,  _You made me come all the way down here for this? You suck._ Annabeth nearly leaped in it's direction, not wanting it to disappear without knowing which way to go, but when she tried, Percy's weight became obvious. He was basically a ball and chain, holding her fast. As quick as she could she drew an arrow in the dirt facing the owl's location. Looking over to Percy, she noticed how much fatigue showed on his young features. Just standing seemed to turn his hair white. It took Annabeth a minute to realize that it wasn't the light of her knife or the darkness around them playing tricks. She let go of his left hand and held her dagger up to his face. He turned to look at her, but she didn't even notice. It was like he was aging right before her eyes. His hair wasn't black anymore; it had faded to a gray. His face seemed slightly older, though how, Annabeth couldn't tell.

 _Why would the gods send help twice? It's so unusual, even in these circumstances._  But looking at Percy, she understood why they put in so much effort.  _What if they believe without it, we won't make it?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BAH DUM BUM. What's happening to Percy? I want your ideas!


	16. Bittersweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth and Percy struggle to find the exit.

Annabeth didn't realize she was staring until he raised a shaky hand and waved it slowly in front of her eyes. "Wake up," he whispered. It wasn't so much he was trying to be quiet, it was that he couldn't speak any louder.

Feeling her heart being twisted in her chest from his pain, she carefully set off in the direction of her arrow. "It's this way. Come on, lean on my shoulder." They began walking, though it felt more like a three-legged race with a drunk. Annabeth jerked to a stop and realized she didn't have her bag. Glancing around, she noticed it sitting right where she left it, with her laptop resting next to it. "Hold up, I need my backpack," She told Percy, but he gave no sign that he had even heard. His chin laying on his chest, he was blindly following her wherever she would take him. "Can you stand until I get back?" His lack of response told her enough. She gently turned him around and guided him back where they had come.

Once next to the bag, she gripped his left hand and moved it to her right shoulder. She then slowly knelt, making sure to keep him standing and leaning on her. Scooping up the laptop and stuffing it in her backpack, she slung it over her left shoulder. Percy swayed where he stood, causing Annabeth to shoot to her feet. She gripped his forearms, and he grimaced until he regained his megre balance. She shoved her right arm through the backpack strap, before noticing it was cut through.  _When did that happen?_  She hadn't noticed before now. She shrugged the thought off, focusing instead on Percy's poor stability. Returning to his side, she struggled under his weight, her own, and her bag. He obviously needed rest, but Annabeth knew they couldn't afford to stop. They'd wasted enough time already, and if he really was aging all at once, they needed to get him to the surface for treatment as soon as possible.

They struck out, once again, in the direction the owl had pointed. Tripping and stumbling, they made slow progress across the terrain. For hours they walked, never seeming to get anywhere. Percy never got any lighter, and seemed to be getting worse as time went on. It was too easy for Annabeth to completely forget what he had done. Now that he was nearly dead, he seemed normal. The part that still scared her was that he might only ever be normal when fatally injured. Just great.

Glancing ahead, Annabeth didn't expect to see anything other than blackness outside their tiny orb of light, but far off, almost on a horizon, a splotch of white was breaking into the dark. It wasn't a glow from a weapon, it seem brighter than that.  _Maybe... Sunlight?_ Annabeth dared to hope. She desperately needed something to cling to, and it was directly ahead, where the owl had pointed.

"Percy." She told him. "Percy, look. Light!" She was expecting some small sign of joy, even relief, but he didn't even raise his head. Now as she looked at him, his hair had become an even lighter shade of gray. She gulped and forged ahead.  _You are not dying now. No way._

As they walked, Annabeth could swear the closer they got, the creepier their surroundings became. Once she heard a mighty roar off to their right, followed by a retaliating bellow. Later, she swore she heard footsteps behind her, but when she turned, they halted and didn't start again. The worst one was a reptilian figure crossing in front of the sunlight ahead of them, then coming only ten feet away on their left. They stopped short and waited for it to pass with weapons ready. It didn't bother them, but if it had wanted to; well, it could have taken them easily.

However, the brightness grew closer and closer at a consistent rate. It had to be twice the size it was before, and seemed to lend Annabeth extra energy. The bigger it got, the more monsters made themselves present. It took Annabeth a while to realize these demons were scoping them out and passing them by, then joining a hoard that gathered behind them. At this realization, the energy she had didn't seem enough. Her feet dragged, like her shoes had become heavier. Pulling Percy along, she knew they had to keep ahead of them. If they caught them too quickly, there wasn't a thing they could do about it. The brightness suddenly increased, and she could see the ground ahead of her. It was like a doorway had opened up and the sun was directly on the other side, creating one long streak of light along the ground. Shielding her eyes, she continued dragging Percy along. The monsters tailing them hissed and screeched, like the light it burnt them. They quickly realized this new advancement meant they couldn't reach their quarry. Immediately they bolted out of the light, and surpassed the two demi-gods along the sides of the beam. The pair was so close to the exit, but the monsters were determined to kill them before they got there. They huddled on the edge of the brightness and swung their weapons towards their targets. All of the demons were so packed together, they were ruining each others aim. That didn't stop them from making contact. One knife caught Annabeth across the arm, making her yell and speed up.  _You're_ _almost there! Are you really going to let them kill you now?_

The sprint only took twenty seconds. It felt like a lifetime. Every time a monster made contact Annabeth let out a scream and lashed out with her knife. On her right, Percy leaned on her and barely kept his sword in the air. He still managed to cut up a few unlucky demons, but he didn't do himself much good. Annabeth was able to deflect a couple hits off her dagger, but she didn't go unscathed. She was very much regretting taking off the lower half of her shirt. The monsters saw it as an easy target, and although she deflected many blows, a couple still cut into her side. The adrenaline helped her cope with the pain, and suddenly they were directly in front of the door of light. Unable to actually see it, she turned away and stepped in. The last she saw of the pit: an army of monsters with bloodied weapons held aloft, burning in the sun, and surrounded by the shadow of darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at that, they're out! What do you think it's gonna be like?


	17. Real World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They may be out of Tartarus, but their troubles aren't over yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter! I'm on Tumblr @cimmerianhuntress, or my general @wingedhuntress. Come talk to me, I don't bite!

Annabeth woke up on a bed of rocks. Instantly wincing, she realized how sore she was. There wasn't much sharp pain, persay, it was more like a throbbing itch spreading all across her body. The only thing that really hurt was a horrid gash in her left side. At least half an inch deep and spanning across half of her stomach, the wound consisted of many injuries piled on top of one another. They overlapped and varied in size, but they were all covered in a dried puddle of blood. It stained her shirt and skin, and made the illusion that it was one large gash. She could still move, so nothing important seemed damaged, but that didn't stop her from wanting to cry. Holding it back, she sat up and looked around. She was in a forest; surrounded by thick two hundred foot trees and undergrowth on all sides. The dirt beneath her was rocky, with small bits of moss growing on the stones. Springing from the ground was another layer of life: ferns, mushrooms, and the occasional flower made a hovering blanket above the floor that spread across the forest. But Annabeth could barely make out it's beauty. The only light came from the moon, but even that was dimed by intimidating storm clouds.  _Where's my knife and backpack? Where's Percy?_ Panicking slightly, she pushed herself to her feet and squinted to see in the dark.

"Percy?" She called cautiously as she looked around. As her gaze rounded a tree she saw her dagger lying in the undergrowth, it's glow illuminating the underside of the leaves. Springing forward to get it, she'd taken no more than three steps when her legs hit a fallen tree trunk that was hidden beneath the groundcover. Tripping over it, Annabeth landed flat on her stomach and rolled over. Looking back at the log, she flinched as her eyes adjusted to her knife's light. Percy lay on his left side, completely covered with plants, his head sagging and his eyes closed. Scrambling towards him, she immediately checked his heart rate. It was weak and quick, like he was trying to keep up with blood loss but didn't have the energy.  _Gods, what do I do?_  Carefully rolling him onto his back, she brushed the hair out of his face and looked over his new injuries. She gagged on the nasty smell of blood. His injuries looked similar to Annabeth's side, except they covered the majority of his body and she couldn't even tell where the damage was. She looked away in horror. There was no way she could treat this.

Then a peculiar thought came to mind.  _If the blood has had time to dry, we must have been unconscious for awhile now._ That meant that she had no way of knowing how much blood Percy had lost. She didn't notice she'd been hyperventilating until black spots danced before her eyes. Sitting back, she concentrated on what to do now. She didn't see the gods helping anytime soon. This forest could continue for miles in any direction, and there was no way to tell where they were. They couldn't rely on their friends; they had no way of knowing where they were.

Annabeth's dark thoughts were interrupted by the snapping of twigs off to the right. Whoever it was, she didn't want to meet them. Remembering how hidden Percy had seemed, she lay down beside him and tried to push the plants around them into an upright position. She slowed her breathing and relaxed. Listening carefully, she heard footfalls where her dagger lay. They stopped, and Annabeth could only see the light of her knife lifting off the ground as the person picked it up. Then, in a brusque male voice, he called out.

"If you happen to still be alive by morning, my brothers will find you on their hunt. I advise you to leave this island quickly. I am the only one that will let you live." Annabeth almost didn't register the words. They vibrated with a deep intensity that she couldn't wrap her mind around, and sent her into a daze. Once she regained her senses, the light of her dagger was gone along with the mysterious man. She'd never gotten a look at him, which was a shame. According to him, anyone else she met would kill her.  _What's the matter with me? I can handle myself just fine._ She looked back down to Percy. He seemed just as bad as he was before, though she couldn't see much without her dagger. With a deep steadying breath, she reached into Percy's pocket for Riptide. She found it and pulled it out. It grew into it's full blade as she uncapped it. Standing and brandishing it around her, she scanned the area for the backpack. She found it lying behind the tree her knife had been near. Inside had her leftover shirt strips, nectar bottle, Daedalus' laptop, and bubble wrap. As she took inventory, she made her way back to Percy's side. He looked so old, his hair was light gray, with white in spots. His face was hollow, with skin stretched tight over his bones where it wasn't sliced to bits. Sighing, she went to work fixing his bandages, dripping nectar into his mouth, and trying to wake him up. She gently shook his shoulders, but he didn't stir.  _Okay,_  she thought,  _you've got no food or water. He doesn't stand a chance without those, especially with his appetite!_ With a bittersweet smile, she wiped her eyes on what was left of her shirt. Her heart pounded as she forced herself not to cry. Standing up, she looked down at Percy. He was well hidden in the underbrush, but if he woke up Annabeth wasn't sure if he'd come looking for her or not. Or whether that would be a good thing or a very bad thing. She took the nectar from the bag and wrapped his hand around the bottle. Taking his sword, she found a piece of wood and carved a message for him into it. Tucking it into his other hand, she turned to leave. Having no better ideas, she stepped in the direction the man had taken. At least she'd find something out.

...

 _Is he awake right now? What if someone found him?_ Annabeth nagged at herself as she tore though the thick forest. She'd been walking since she'd left Percy, and now that the sun was rising, she didn't know what to do. Her search for anything useful was becoming a complete waste of her time. Now the choice was whether to turn around and go back to Percy or continue onward.

Luckily, or unluckily, a siloette began to present itself through the trees. As it became clearer it turned into a tent-like structure, built from long logs tied together and covered with canvas. A simple choice, perhaps, but not done quickly. Around the main building, smaller teepees were set up. The man's words came back to Annabeth, and she kept to the lingering shadows that hid from the morning rays. She rounded the small clearing to get a better angle of the main house. Coming around to the front and only ten yards from the nearest teepee, she nearly tripped in surprise. The door was just a cut down the middle of the fabric that was curled and pinned back to the supports. What was inside could be called any number of things.

There were men-like creatures inside, but they had to have been monsters. They're heads were slightly oversized, but their ears were huge, and the lobes drooped to drag in the dust. Their teeth were pointed and their eyes were pure black. Annabeth found her heart rate rising. She'd dealt with plenty of hybrid monsters before, and these were no different. Except that there was one in the middle, wearing a crown of bones, sitting on a throne of human flesh, and was twice the size of the average man. He sat, fat and ugly, with an arm in his hand. He raised it to his mouth and bit into it, cracking the fragile fingers between his sharp teeth.

Abruptly, Annabeth doubled over and lost her lunch. Or she would have, if she had eaten anything in the past few days. Bile spewed onto the mossy ground as she gagged. A grunt came from the closest teepee. Then another responded and footsteps moved in Annabeth's direction. She straightened, wiping her mouth on her arm, then her pants. She backed up and prepared to run. Just as she turned, her feet shot out from under her. Clamping down on her scream, her whole body followed them into a den at the base of a tree. It was roomy, considering she was beneath a tree and could still move around. If the monsters didn't know about it, it would be a great hiding place. As she peeked out the hole in the roof, she realized it was unlikely they did. She would never have found it if she hadn't backed into the tree. The gap was only a foot wide, and surrounded by long grasses. Now only to get Percy here somehow.

She'd nearly forgotten about the guards that had heard her. She was about to climb out of the hole when their shuffling reached her ears. They grunted back and forth to each other as they slowly grew closer. Annabeth scrambled back in the little den, crowding to the back wall and eyeing the entrance. From her position, she could barely see their chests moving and swinging spears along the ground. One stopped, raising his hands and gesturing. The other pressed on and responded in their foreign language. The first threw his hands up in exasperation and headed back his post. The second continued to walk until he'd passed the tree Annabeth was under. She allowed a small sigh of relief. Normally, monsters had a better sense of smell than to walk by a demigod without knowing it. She waited, hoping the guard would give up and head back, but he never did. Finally, with a sigh of foreboding, Annabeth carefully lifted herself out of the den. The sun was nearly in the center of the sky.  _Already midday._  She kept low with her head on the swivel as she made her way to the other side of the tree trunk. Starting off in the opposite direction that she had come in, Annabeth continuously scanned the forest for the remaining guard. She could see no reason for him to go far enough to reach Percy, but she also didn't understand why he hadn't come back to his post yet. 

So, with no better ideas, Annabeth headed for Percy so she could drag him to their new den. It had passed the guard test, and apparently they couldn't smell demigods. They also must've been the big bad brothers that the mysterious man had said would kill them.  _They probably don't hunt so close to their camp, anyway._ There wasn't a better place to hide Percy until she found some way to contact somebody somehow, and find some way to get somewhere else that didn't have cannibal somebodies. It was a perfect base for now.

Annabeth was beginning to recognize the area a bit now. Adrenaline was pushing it's way into her bloodstream; the guard hadn't shown up yet. He could've found Percy, and thus occupied his time tearing him apart. The rational part of Annabeth's mind reminded her that the guard wouldn't be able to smell Percy, and that he wasn't easily visible, but the panicked part pushed her feet into a run, then a sprint. She saw the clearing ahead; no guard, but no Percy either. Her breath quickened as she reached the edge. Just as she did the first time, she tripped over Percy's motionless body. She didn't fall flat, unlike the first time, and unlike the first time, Percy's groan was clearly audible. She was by his side in a heartbeat. He didn't move or open his eyes, but he did start mumbling a quiet stream of curses. "Percy?" Annabeth whispered as she leaned over him. He was still covered in the undergrowth, but very much visible in the midday sun. The peice of wood and the nectar had fallen from his grasp. It was surprising that Annabeth had missed him, even if she was running. She cursed herself for panicking. That was the last thing she needed to do. 

Percy started coughing, lurching back and fourth as blood bubbled to his lips. He still kept his eyes closed, but his arm reached for Annabeth. She gently grabbed it, and he pulled on it. It felt careful, but it only took her a second to realize it was the most strength he could muster. He looked like he was trying his hardest to break her hand. She felt a tsunami of emotions pushing at the backs of her eyes, and didn't even bother to hold them back. Tears gushed down her face, and all she could do was forbid making noise. _He despises me. He would kill me if he could. Is there even a cure for his new anger?_ Her breath caught, and she gripped his hand as hard as she could to get his attention.

"Percy," she declared, "We're moving to another spot. It's right next to a camp of cannibals. You need to stay quiet and work with me, or we're both going to be their dinner. Comprende?" His mouth opened to answer, and Annabeth had to lean in close to hear.

"No way... I won't... Our deal... Leave... Alone!" His voice couldn't even get up to a murmur. Blood still pooled in his mouth and on his lips. She knew they needed to do _something_ , and he wouldn't get better without food and water. She might be able to steal non-human food from the cannibals. _Some of them must like salad, right?_

Annabeth leaned in to Percy's ear, "Well, guess what? I'm going to drag you there whether you like it or not. You can decide how painful it's going to be. Please, just cooperate; you're already injured enough." She could hear him cursing, but it was much too quiet to attract attention. She really needed something to drag him on; there was no way she could carry him all the way without obliterating his already torn-to-shreds body. She glanced around, but didn't see anything that would do the trick. Her bag wouldn't work either, and it was going to become her best ally if she was going to become the resident thief.

With a hopeful glance at Percy, she wondered if he'd be able to walk if she helped him, like they did in the pit. She soon realized that was not going to be an option. He couldn't even open his eyes or grip her hand; how was he going to stand? 

Then, in the most inconvenient of inconveniences, she heard a twang off in the forest. She shoved herself flat over Percy and heard the arrowhead thud into the trunk behind them.  _Well,_  she fumed,  _isn't _this_  just what I needed._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all I got!  
> I understand that this isn't a very satisfying ending, but that's because it wasn't originally supposed to be an ending. I had the entire next chapter written, involved and progressing the story, but deleted the entire thing like a moron. I basically lost the will to write at that point, so sorry about that.  
> I don't intend to write it again, unless some people really want to see it. If that's the case, I'm gonna need some ideas where you want this to go, because I don't want to go into what the rest of the team was doing up until this point.  
> Thank you for reading! If you're feeling generous drop me a comment about what you thought!


End file.
